TABA is pleased to announce this year's award winners.

Michelle Germain, Aboriginal Businesswoman
Shopgirls is a labour of love for owner/curator Michelle Germain. Inspired by a love of art and fashion since her days as a fashion merchandising student, this self-styled fashionista decided to put her years of experience in retail marketing, including PR and Strategic Partnership initiatives at Holt Renfrew and The Hudson’s Bay Company, into action.

In 2005, she started hosting shopping parties that brought the works of undiscovered local talent to the homes of her friends and neighbours. Following the birth of her first child in 2006, Germain sought and received support from Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) in making her passion a full-time reality, and the concept grew and evolved into the Shopgirls Gallery Boutique, which opened its doors as a retail concept store on December 7th, 2007.

The timing was fraught with challenges given that the recession hit almost immediately afterward—and she had a second child. However, Michelle adjusted to the environment using all of her accumulated skills and savvy, which has seen Shopgirls not only survive but thrive. TABA salutes Michelle’s tenacity in pursuing her entrepreneurial vision.

David Shilling, Aboriginal Businessman
With almost 20 years of Graphic and Web Design experience, David Shilling is the owner of MAAIINGAN Productions and the Creative Director and co-founder of MUSKRAT Magazine. Throughout his career David has successfully managed and delivered projects for hundreds of organizations and brings a wide range of design experience collaborating within both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities using multiple medias.

David brings large-scale project management skills such as establishing the premiere issue of First Nations House Magazine (print and online publications) to executing smaller scale design projects such as logo and poster design. Some of David’s clients include: The United Way, Humber College, Spirit Magazine, XEROX Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Chiefs of Ontario, University of Toronto, Visa, The Bay, Legal Aid Ontario, Royal York, Toronto Dominion Bank and Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto. David has designed websites for Canada’s leading Aboriginal organizations including: First Nations House Magazine (FNH), Chiefs of Ontario, and the Aboriginal Students Department website at the University of Toronto.

MAAIINGAN Productions is a visual communications and capacity building company that includes a multi-talented roster of designers, media artists, writers, editors, community based strategic planners and researchers.

MAAIINGAN has a strong history of creating cutting edge publications and award-winning writing. They specialize in Graphic/Web Design, online development, photography, research, writing and video production. MAAIINGAN team members are dynamic Indigenous professionals with expertise in non-profit community and arts centered management. They have experience in First Nations’ and Métis community capacity building including: community outreach, facilitation and strategic planning, and community based participatory research.

David believes in combining Aboriginal culture, effective communications and visual creativity with the expertise, skills and knowledge needed to engage diverse communities. TABA congratulates David on creating and sustaining this long-term enterprise.=